Golf

2017 Zurich Classic: Tee times, pairings for Monday’s playoff

We need a Monday morning playoff to settle the first-ever two-man team event Zurich Classic.

May 1, 2017, 11:00 AM UTC

Zurich Classic Of New Orleans - Final Round

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The Zurich Classic has trouble staying on schedule. For the second straight year, the annual event in New Orleans has bled into Monday. The circumstances of this Monday finish, however, are far different from last year’s Brian Stuard Monday win. In the 2016 edition, rain wrecked the entire weekend at TPC Louisiana, shortening the event to 54 holes and creating the possibility of maybe even a Tuesday finish as players sat around for three days watching it rain. This year’s Monday finish is the result of just one bad weather day (6.5 hour delay on Sunday) and some last-minute heroics that forced extra holes.

The two-man team of Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown needed a bit of a miracle. Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt were in position to make two birdies — Smith, especially, after a ridiculous flop shot put him to just 3 feet for a what was almost a tap-in. So, either Kisner or Brown — the South Carolina duo that made eight birdies in a row to start their final round and get back into it — had to hole out for eagle. It was clear they needed to get to 27-under. With the 18th green almost in total darkness, Kisner stepped up and hit a bullet up onto the green. Fortunately for Kis, the flagstick was there to help out his on-line run at it — there’s no chance of it going in if you leave it short.

That ripped victory from Smith and Blixt, and likely meant we were coming back on Monday to settle things. Smith knocked in his birdie putt and the two teams went to the scoring trailer to turn in their final-round cards. It was only a matter of minutes in scoring before it became total darkness at the course. In these situations, the TV cameras always deceive you into thinking it’s a little lighter out than it really is on the ground. Here’s what it was really like:

So, while the rest of the field can get out of town, these four will roll it back on Monday in this first year as a two-man team event at the Zurich.

The playoff will be sudden death, starting back on the 18th tee at 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. local in NOLA). There were two formats used this week — alternate shot foursomes on Thursday and Saturday, and then best ball fourball on Friday and Sunday. The playoff will be under the same format as the final round, so all four players will play their own ball in on the 18th.

Golf Channel will have live coverage of the playoff at 9 a.m. ET. You can simulcast stream that TV coverage via their Live Extra service or you can stream a simulcast of the coverage on PGA Tour Live.